The following discussion of Snell’s Law of Refraction (named after Willebrord Snell, 1580–1626) is needed for Problems 115–122.

Light, sound, and other waves travel at different speeds, depending on the medium (air, water, wood, and so on) through which they pass. Suppose that light travels from a point A in one medium, where its speed is v₁, to a point B in another medium, where its speed is v₂. Refer to the figure, where the angle θ₁ is called the angle of incidence and the angle θ₂ is the angle of refraction. Snell’s Law, which can be proved using calculus, states that

The ratio v₁/v₂ is called the index of refraction. Some values are given in the table shown below.

The index of refraction of light in passing from a vacuum into dense flint glass is 1.66. If the angle of incidence is 50°, determine the angle of refraction.

Transcribed Image Text:

sin 0₁ sin 0₂ V₁ V2